Shoe-last.



J. S.VBUSKY, SR.

SHOE LAST.

APPLIGATION FILED Amm, 1912,

1,078,251 n Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

JOHN s. iaUsKY, sa., or NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHOE-LAST.

A i Specification of Letters Patent. l

.Application led April 1, v1912.

Patented Nov. 1 1, i913. Serial No. 687,664.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. Busin', Sr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Shoe-Lasts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to a class of devices or shoe lasts adapted to be used in making footwear.

My invention has for its object primarily to provide a last or device designed to be employed for making shoes, boots, and other forms of footwear for persons whereby the use of tacks or nails may be dispensed with as is incident with the making o-f footwear according to present methods, and which is adapted to be used to ermit persons afllicted with blindness to efhciently make various forms of footwear. These advantages are attained mainly by providing a'hollow last, or shell of a suitable shape, and upon which the vario-us parts of the shoe are fastened together. By the use of shaping plates the upper or vamp of the shoe may be readily stretched in proper form upon the last, and held so that an insole and an outsole if desired may be stitched thereto either singly, or collectively.

Other objects of the invention are to provide means adapted to operate the shaping or stretching plates for holding. the upper or vamp; to provide means serving to adjust the plates so as to form the upper in proper shape; and to provide means adapted to securely hold the insole to the last so as to be stitched to the upper or vamp.

A further object of the invention is to provide an efficient form of shoe last which is susceptible of being made in diierent forms, in order to be used for making footwear of various shapes and sizes.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, the said invention being more fully described hereinafter' and then pointed out. in the appended claims. i

In the drawing Figure 1 yis 'an inverted view of the last with the bottom plat-e removed therefrom. Fig. 2 isja longitudinal vertical section, partly in detail, taken centrally through the last, and .Figf is a fragmentary plan of the bottom plate of the last. Fig. 4 is a plan of a portion of the supporting plate used in the device, and F ig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the line lI-H of Ifig. l showing the. form of the fingers servlng to guide the movement of the stretching plates.

The device has a last or shell 10 having a foot portion or upper part 11 and an ankle 12 which are made in the form of a persons foot of any size or shape. The foot portion 11 and ankle12 are preferably made of sheet metal so as to provide a hollow interior 13 thereto and upon the lower edge of said foot portion is a bottom plate 14 having a plurality of spaced slots or openings 15 formed therethrough adjacent to its peripheral edge. The edge of the plate 14 extends some distance `beyond the foot portion 11, and said projecting edge is peripherally corrugated, o-r notched, as 16. Upon the top surface of the bottom plate 14, and interiorly of the foot portion 11 of the shell are movable shaping or stretching plates 17, 18, 19, 20. The shaping plates 17 and 18 are of approximately the same length as the foot portion l1 of the shell, and are disposed at the opposed lengthwise edges of the interior of the shell. The shaping plate 19 is movably held at the heel interiorly of the foot portion, and theA shaping plate 2O is movably held at the toe interiorly of said foot. portion. 'Each of the shaping plates carries a plurality of pins 21 which extend vertically from the underside thereof, and are disposed through the slots 15 of the bottom plate 14. In proximity to the ends of each of the stretching plates 17 and 18, and upon their oppose@ edges are lugs 22 and 23, each of which has an upwardly projecting pin 24 and 24a.

Serving to carry the mechanism for moving'the stretching plates 17 18, 19, 2O alternately in vertical and radial directions, is a supporting plate 25 provided adjacent to the stretching plates, vand said supporting plate .is of a size to permit it to be freely moved in the shell 10. Through the supporting plate 25 and in proximity to o-ne end thereof arev two alined spaced openings 26 and 27, and in proximity to the opposite endof said supporting plate are two similar spaced openings 28 and 29. Contiguous to one end of the stretching plate 17 and extending from its underside is a guide 26a,`and a guide 27 a extends from a corresponding part of the underside of the stretching plate lq.

A guide 28aL extends from the underside ofr the stretching plate 17 in proximity to its opposite end, anda guide 29a extends from a corresponding part of the stretching plate 18. All' of the guides are preferably alike, eachV being formed of vtwo spaced strips which are out out or the respective stretching plates and then disposed at suitable angles from the plates so as to be passed"v vthrough one of the correspondingopenings site; to the recess 31 is post32. The .post 32 extends in proximity' toA the openingv in the top of the shell 10, and said opening is closed by a plate 33 through whichv is anv opening 34. The free end of lthe post 82 is exteriorly threaded, and upon said threaded endis the interiorly threaded end of a rotatable cap35 having a reduced portion, asy 36, which'is disposed through the opening 34. o1 the plate By providing the reduce-d por'- tifon 36 an annular shoulder is formed upon the cap 35, and said shoulder abuts against the plate 83. `The reduced portion 36 of the cap 35 extends some distance beyond the plate 33 exteriorly of thev shell 1th` and upon this extension is: a linger nut 37 which is held .rigidlyu to said reduced portion by a screw 38, or otherwise,so as toA permit the cap to be revolved thereby; When the nut 37 is manually rotated from right to left the cap 35`will likewise'be revolved, and the boss 30 will then be forced. for moving the supporting plate 25 and the stretching plates 17,

18, 19, 20 toward the bottom plate 14 of the shell 10. The lpins 21 of the stretching Y plates will thereby be moved through the spaced slots 15 of the bottom plate 14 so as to extend some distance therefrom.

Throughthe cap 35,r the post 32 andthe boss 30 is. a continuous passage 39 which communicates with the recess 31 of the boss, and in said passage is a movable spindle 88 of an adjusting device 40 whichserves asmeans to move the plates 17, 18:, 19, 20 and the pins 21 thereorn in a direction toward the center of the bottom plate 14 so as to stretch the upper or vamp-olf` a shoe when are ranged upon the shell 10 ofthe last.

The adjusting device 40 has a pinion 41 rigidly held upon the spindle 382",- andis disposed in the recess 31 of the boss' 30. In parallel arranged longitudinal slots, or pas sages 42 43 formed at the edges ofthe A body of" the boss 30 are guided the racks', or

toothed arms 44 and 45 of operating bars, 'or members 4'6 and' 47. As shown in Fig. 1,

the teeth of both the racks 44 and 45 are in mesh with the pinion 41 whereby the racks jand the operating bars 46 and 47 wllbe moved simultaneously in opposite directions longitudinally with respect to the length of the shell 10. The operating bar 46 extends into the toe of the shell 10, and the operating bar 47 extends in a direction toward the heel of the shell. Serving to support as well as guide the movement ofthe' operating. bar 46 is an apertured bracket 48 fastened to the supporti-ng pla-te 25,. and the end of said operating bar which is opposite to the rack 45 is connected by means of a pin y49 to the ears of a lug 50' provided upon the edge of the stretching. plate 20 at the toe o1 the last. The end of the operating bar 47 which is opposite to the" rack 44 is connected by a pm 51 to the vears of a lug 52 formed uponthe stretcliing-plate 19 at the heel of the last. By connecting the toe stretching plate 19 and the heel stretching plate 20 in this manner to the operating bars 46 and 47, respectively, it is obvious that said stretching plateswil'l be moved in unison in a direction toward the cent-er of the bottom plate of the last when the racks 44 and 45 are longitudinalliy moved in opposite directions by rotation of the pinion 41.V For the purpose ot also forcing the stretching plates 17 and 1S in a direction toward the center of the bottom plate of the last simultaneously with the movement of the plates 19 and 20, connected to theoperating bar 46 at the toe of thellast is a plate, or guiding member 52, and connected to the operatingbar 47 at the heel of the last is a simi'lar plate, or guiding member 53. The guiding plates 52 and 53 may be substantially the shape of a cross, or

any other preferred form, and in each of said plates are two converging slots 54 and 55". Movably disposed in the slots 54 and 55 of each of the guiding plates arelthc pins 24 and 24a of each pair of the lugs 22 and 23.30

, that when the operating bars 46 and 47 are directed longitudinally, as above described, i and the guiding plates 52v and 53 are correspondingly moved the edges of the slotted i portions of said plates will engage and force the pins 24` and 24a along the slots whereby the'. stretching plates 17 and 18 will be moved in unison toward the "center of the bottom plate of the last. To rotate the pinion 41 to operate the stretching plates 17,18, 19, 2O the spindle 38 extends some distance beyond the cap 39, and upon the projecting end of said spindle is a bar, or hand-lever 56 by the use of which the spindle may be manually rotated. 1 1

In employing theylast for making Ytootwear for persons Without theuse .of nails the upper or vamp is directed over the ankle and foot portion of the last, and the vamp is held against displacement by fastening its edges upon the pins 21 of the plates 17, 18, 19, 20 after being forced to extend through the slots of the bottom plate of the shell. In order to then properly stretch the vamp in shape the plates 17, 18, 19, 2O are moved radially in a direction toward the center of the bottom plate of the last by rotating the Spindle 38 through the operation of the adjusting device 10 by the hand-lever 56. In order to apply an insole not shown to the upper or vamp it is made of the same size as the bottom plate of the shell 10 of the last. The insole is provided with slots silnilar to the bottom plate and has also two spaced openings midway therethrough for passage of bolts or pins 57 and 58 of a holding device 59. The bolts 57 and 58 are held rigidly in the bottom plate 14 of the shell 10, and each of said bolts has a threaded end projecting some distance from the bottom plate. A plate or bar GO having two openings is movably held upon the threaded ends of the bolts 57 and 58, and by means of thumb nuts G1 and 62 the plate is tightened upon an insole after being positioned upon the bottom plate of the shell, as heretofore mentioned. By using the corrugations 16 of the bottom plate 14: as guides the insole may then be evenly stitched to the upper or vamp.

1n the foregoing description I have embodied the preferred form of my invention, but l do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as 1 am aware that modifications may be made therein without departing from the principle, or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, therefore li reserve to myself the right to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination with a shoe last having a hollow foot portion, of a bottom plate provided upon the lower face of the foot portion and having a peripherally corrugated edge extending beyond the foot portion, said bottom plate having a plurality of spaced slots adjacent to its corrugated edge, a plurality of stretching plates movably held within the foot portion, a plurality of pins provided upon each of the stretching plates and adapted to be projected through the slots of the bottom plate, means adapted to force the stretching plates simultaneously toward the bottom plate whereby the pins of said stretching plates will be projected through the slots of the bottom plate for fastening the vamp of a shoe upon the last, and means adapted to move the stretching plates simultaneously ltaneously toward the .bottom a direction toward the center of the bottom plate whereby the vamp of the shoe portion, guides provided upon the stretchj ing plates and cooperating with4 the supporting plate for guiding the stretching plates when moved, means adapted to force the supporting plate so as to move the stretching plates simultaneously toward the bottom plate whereby the pins of said stretching plates will be projected through the slots of the bottom plate for fastening the vamp of a shoe upon the last, and means adapted to move the stretching plates simultaneously in a direction toward the center of the bottom plate whereby the vamp of the shoe may be stretched upon the last.

3. The combination with a shoe last having a hollow foot portion and an opening through the top thereof, of a bottom plate upon the lower face of the foot portion having' a peripherally corrugated edge extending beyond the foot portion and a plurality of spaced slots adjacent to its corrugated edge, a plurality of stretching plates movably held within the foot portion, a plurality of pins provided upon each of the stretching plates and adapted to be projected through the slots of the bottom plate, a supporting plate movable within the foot portion, guides provided upon the stretching plates and cooperating with the supporting plate for guiding the stretching plates when moved,

means adapted to force the supporting plate so as to move the stretch-ing plates simulplate whereby the pins ofsaid stretching plates will'be projected through the slots of the bottomV plate for fastening the vamp of a shoe upon the last, means adapted to move the stretching plates simultaneously in a direction towardthe center of the bottom plate whereby thevamp may be stretched upon the last, and means adapted torigidly hold an .insole or the like upon the bottom plate so as to be stitched to the vamp; :j y; Y

4. The combination with a shoe last having a hollow foot portion and an opening through the top thereof, ofV a bottom plate provided uponthe, lower face of the foot portion and having a peripherally corrugated' edgel extending beyond the foot poi:-

tion, said bottom x plate having a plurality 'of spaced slots adjacent to itsl corrugated' ,ed-ge,4 al pli-irality of' stretch-ing plates movably Vheld within vthe foot portion, a plurality 'of' pins provided VVupon each eff the stretching plates `and adapt-'ed to'y be projected through 'the' slots' of the bottom plate,

a supporti-'ng'plate movable within Vthe toot lio` Y ving plates and coperating with fthe supportion, guides provided-upon the stretchportingY plate, for VVguiding the stretching pilates` when moved,a boss fastened upon themsupporti-ng plate, ksaid boss having an exteriorly threaded portion extending toward the opening at the top ol the last, an

interi'orly threadedI cap rotatably hel-'di upon the-threaded poi-tion 'of the boss, and means adapted 'to-rotate the cap'- to move the boss for forcing the supporting plate so as to movethe stretching plates simultaneously towardL the bottom plate whereby the pins of said stretching plates will be projected through the slots of the bottom plate for fastening thcvamp of a shoe upon the last.

5. rlhe combination with a shoe last havinga hollow foot portion and anopening throi-ig'h the top thereof, ofabottom plate provided upon the lower face ofthe foot portion and having a periph'erally corrugated edge extending beyond the foot portion, said bottom'plate having a plurality of spacedl slots adjacent to4 its corrugated l edge, a plurality or stretching plates movably held within the foo-t portion, a plurality of pins provided upon each of the stretchvinthe said top opening, means adapted to rotate the cap to move the stretching plates simultaneously tow-ard the' bottom plate whereby the pins of said' stretching plates will be vprojected through .the slots of the bottom 'plate for fastening the vamp of a `shoe upon the last, and means adapted to move the stretching plates simultaneously in a direction toward the center' ofthe bottom plater whereby the vamp may be' stretched upout-he last. f

6. The combination with a shoe last hav ing a hollow foot :portion andfan open-ing through the top thereof, of a bottomplate provided upon the lower face of tliefoot portionand having a pcripherally corrugated'edgel extending-beyond the loot portion', said bottom plate having a plurality of spaced slots adjacent to its corrugated edge, a plurality of stretching plates movableV held within the foot portion, a plurality of pins provided upon each of the stretching plates and adapted to be projected through the slots of the bottom pla-te, a supporting plate movable within the foot portie-n1, guides provided upon the stretching plates and coperating with the supporting plate for guiding theostretching plates when moved, a boss fastened upon the supporting plate, said boss having an exteriorly threaded portion extending toward said top opening, an interiorly threaded cap rotatably held upon the threaded portion of the bossl and revoluble in the said top opening, means adapted to rotate the cap to move the stretching plates simultaneously towardy the bottom plate whereby the pins of said stretching plates will be projected through the slots of the bottom plate for fastening the vamp of a shoe upon the last, means adapted to move the stretching plates simultaneously in a direction toward the center of the bottom plate whereby the vamp may be stretched upon the last, and means adapted to hold an insole or the like upon the bottom plate so as to be stitched to the vamp.

7. The combination with a shoe last havin'g a hollow foot portion and an opening through the top thereof, of a bottom plate provided upon the lower face olf the foot portion and having a peripherally corrugated edge extending beyond the foot portion, said bottom plate having a plurality of spaced slots adjacent to its corrugated edge, a plurality of stretching plates movably held within the foot portion, a plurality of pins provided upon each of the stretching plates and adapted to be projected through the slots of the bottom plate, means adapted to force the stretching plates simultaneously toward the bottom plate whereby the pins of the stretching plates will be projected through the slots of said bottom plate, a boss tastened within the foot .portion and having an aperture therethrough and a recess therein, a spindle movable in the aperture of the boss, a pinion held upon the spindle and disposed in the recess of the boss, two operating bars, a rack formed upon one end of each of the operating bars and meshing with the pinion of the spindle, means connecting each of the operating bars to the stretching plates whereby the stretching plates may bemoved toward the center of the bottom plate of the last when the operating bars are moved in opposite diarections, and means adapted to rotate the l spindle in the boss for revolving the pinion to move said operating bars. o

S. The combination with a shoe last having-a hollow foot portion and an opening through the top thereofpof'a-:bottomgplate tion, said bottom platenhavingia plurality of 'spaced slots-adjacent toits corrugated edgar plurality of istretohing'plates =mov rality lrof pins` provided uponfeach of the stretching platesiandl'adapteditoa bei pro- -j eeted through the fsliots of the bottom plate,

supporting platemova'ble within ftheqlfoot portion, vguidespro-vided upon the A"stretchi ng Y platesr and `cooperating with the ysupporting plate' for guiding the :stretching plates; when moved, a-boss yfastened upon :the supporting -plateiv andihaving a :recess ethereimwV said boss' having: anf exteriorly` threaded; portiom eX- tending ftoward: the saidy top vopeningand having a passage therethrough, an `interiorly threaded cap 4rotatably held upon `the threaded portion of thelboss and .revoluble inthe said top-opening,fsaid cap alsoihaving i a :passage communicating with the passage of the boss,fmeansz adapted to rotate the cap l to move the lstretching-plates simultaneonsly tow-ard the bottom; plate f wherebyi 'the l:pins

vof saidl 1stretching lplateswill-Ybe projected lthroughthe; slotsff'ofi the bottom lplatei-for fastening the 'vampAe of; ashoeV upon the last,

f a spindle movablefinthe passages ofthe boss and the cap, a pinion held upon ithenspindle and disposedin `the' recess v"of the boss, ltwo loperating bars, a rack formed uponone end of each of fthe operating' barsA and meshing with the rpinion ,ofi fthe ;spindle,-=means =con necting each ofsithe.: operating-iloarsil` tof ythe stretching plates whereby .the stretching platesumayzfbe moved toward fthe -center'of the bottom 4plate of ithei lastwhen 'the foperating bars. are-moved-in opposite directions, and means adapted to rotate the spindle for revolving the pinion to move saidaoperating bars. Y

9. The combination with: avshoe last havthroughk the top thereo.-f,=ofY` abottom, plate provided upon the lower face of the-foot portion and having a peripherally corrugated edge extending beyond the foot portion, said bottom plate having a plurality of spaced slots adjacent to its corrugated edge, a plurality of stretching plates movably held within the foot portion, a plurality of pins provided upon each of the stretching plates and adapted to be projected through the slots of the bottom plate, a supporting plate movable within the foot portion, guides provided upon the stretching plates land cooperating with the supporting plate for guiding the stretching plates when moved, a boss fastened upon the supporting plate and having a recess therein, said boss-having an exteriorly threaded portion extending towardthe said top opening and having a ing a hollow foot portion and an opening -passage therethrough, aninteriorly threaded 'zoapwrotatablyheld` upon `the threaded poration ofitheboss and revol'uble inthe lsaid top opening,"said cap also-having a'passage communicatingv withl the passage of the boss, vmeansadapted-torotate the cap to move the fstretching xplates simultaneously toward the bottom ;,plate whereby' the, pins of vsaid stretching, plates" will be projected' through the-'slotsyof the 4bottom plate for fastening lthe= va1np:of= av shoeiupon the-last, a spindle umovablein the passage of tliefboss and the cap, a'pinion held upon fthe spindle and disposedfin the' recess of theboss, two operating bars, araclefor1ned=upon one end-.of each ofrthe operating bars and-meshing with the pinionfoff the spindle, mea-ns connecting \eacli of,` theoperatingibars :to the stretching -plateswhereby Ythestretching platesy may be movedttoward the centerv of the-bottom plate f offthe last when the operating bars are moved inA oppositedireotions, t means adapted :to rotate the. spindle` forrevolving thepinion to move saidfoperating bars, and a holding des viceaadaptedwto :retain an insole upon the 'bott-oin` 'plate lsolas-to be. stitched to av vamp Iofy ai shoe `;when1 stretched upon the last.

10. The combination with ashoelast havfiligiawhollow foot:portionl and an opening through the' top thereof, of abottom plate v'providedupon the' lowerf faceof they foot po'rtioniand l-iavingel a,-peripherally corru- A'gated'edge extending beyond the foot portion, said'bottom' platehaving a plurality; of lspaoedgs'lotsI adjacent to itsl corrugated edge, apluraliatyl of stretching plates movably held withinj the ffoot portion,- `two of said plates beingfat theopposededges: and one at the ltoe and i heel-of the foot portion, a fpluralit)7 of pins provided: uponl each of 4thestretching plates. and, adapted i to :be :projected through the-slots of the bottom; plate,` a supporting pl-,ate movable ywithin-the foot portion,` guides provided upon the stretching-plates and .eo-

roperatingewith the ;:s11pporting e plate for #11.10

guiding the stretching plates when moved, a .boss fastenedrupon the supporting plateand ihaving a recess therein, said boss having a .passage therethrough, means carried by the boss and adapted to force the stretching plates simultaneously so as to project the pins thereof through the slots of the bottom plate, a spindle movable in the passage of the boss, a pinion held upon the spindle and disposed in the recess of the boss, two operating bars, a rack formed upon one end of the operating bars and meshing with the pinion of the spindle, means connecting each of the operating bars to the stretching plates whereby the stretching plates may be movedtoward the center of the bottom plate of the last when the operating bars are moved in opposite directions, and means adapted to rotate the spindle for revolving .z the pinion to move said operating bars.

l1. The combination with a shoe last having a hollow foot portion and an opening" Vthrough the top thereof, of a bottom plate vprovided upon the lower face of the foot portion and having a peripherally corrugated edge extending beyond the foot portion, said bottom plate having a plurality of spacedI slots adjacent to its corrugated edge, a plurality of stretching plates movably held Awithin the foot portion', two of said plates fbeing` at t-he opposed side edges and one at l plates and coperating with the supporting plate for'guiding the stretching plates when moved, a boss fastened upon thesupporting j Vplate and having alrecess therein, said boss Yhaving a passage therethrough, means carried by the b-oss and adapted to force the stretching plates simultaneously so as to project the pins thereof through the slots of the bottom plate, a spindle movable in the CID passage of the boss, a pinion-held upon the spindle and disposed in the recess of the boss, two operating bars, arack formed upon one end of the operating bars and meshing with the pinion of the spindle, means connecting Aeach of the operating bars to the stretching plates whereby the stretching plates may be moved toward the center of the bottom plate of the last when the operating bars are moved in opposite directions, means adapted to rotate the spindle for revolving the pinion to move said operating bars, and means provided upon the bottom plate and adapted to removably hold an insole thereto.

12. The combination with a shoe last having a hollow foot portion and an opening through the top thereof, ofV a bottom plateV provided upon the lower face of the foot portion and having a peripherally corruygated edgeextending beyond the foot portion, said bottom plate having a plurality of spaced slots adjacent to its corrugated edge, four stretching plates movably held within the foot portion, two of said plates being at the opposed side edges and one each at the toe and heel of the foot portion, a plurality of pins provided upon each of the stretching plates and adapted to be projected through the slots of the bottom plate, a supporting plate movable within the foot portion, guides provided upon the stretching plates and cooperating with the supporting plate for guiding the stretching plates when moved', a boss fastened upon the supporting plate and having a rec-ess therein, said boss having a passage therethrough, means carried by the boss and adapted to force the stretching plates simultaneously so as to project the pins thereof through the slots of the bottom plate, a spindle movable in the passage of the boss, a pinion held upon the spindle and disposed in the recess of the boss, two operating bars, a rack formed upon one end of the operating bars to the stretching plates whereof the spindle, means connecting each of the operating bars to the stretching plates Whereby the stretching plates may be moved toward the center of the bot-tom plate of the last when the operating bars are moved in opposite directions, means adapted to rotate the spindle for revolving the pinion to move said operating bars, two threaded bolts rigidly held upon the bottom plate, a bar having two openings through which the threaded bolts are guided, and means adapted to Vmove the bar to adjusted positions upon the threaded bolts.

This specification signed and witnessed this thirtieth day of March A. D. 1912.

JOHN S. BUSKY, Sn.

Witnesses:

Ron'r. B. Ao'rr, M. DnRMoDY.

V(Jopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

